Shearer one of 20 candidates to take over as manager, says Blackburn chief

By Matt Hill

The former Rovers and England striker is in the frame to take over as boss of his former club following the departure of Steve Kean, according to the club's chief executive

Blackburn Rovers chief executive Derek Shaw has admitted that former striker Alan Shearer is a potential candidate to fill the void left by the outgoing Steve Kean as manager of the club, but say there are "about 20 good, proper applications".

Shearer, who spent four years in the north-west between 1992 and 1996, scoring 112 goals in 138 appearances, was top scorer when Rovers won the Premier League in 1995 and is highly regarded by the club’s fans.

"I'm sure it would be a popular appointment but even more than getting fans excited we need a good manager who'll get us to the Premier League and keep us in the Premier League," Shaw told the Guardian.

"Obviously someone with Alan's football record, he'll be on the list that we have a good look at. I wouldn't confirm anything at this moment in time."

Speaking to the BBC's'Football Focus' on Saturday, 42-year-old Shearer suggested he would speak to the club if they approached him, but according to Shaw his name is one of many on a lengthy list.